Brick clamper



G- E. LUCE BRICK cmu/[PER Dec. 6, 1927.

Filed March '7. 1927 I N V EN TOR. v/irra/Y E. A une.

ATTO EY5.

Y showing -the'parts in the clamping position.- 24

F said plate Patented Dec. v(5, 1927.

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BRICK CLAMIER.

Appiiauon alsa-,March f7, 1,927.. ser-iaiin,igzasso.v

This invention relates to a brick clamping construction adapted to clamp brick resting yupon a support, the clamping construcf tin and the brick support being relatively movable, and generally ythe brick support beings. movable conveyer. Such as any off-bear-k ing belt, the brick lor article to be clamped being .of plastic clay vand the like which cannot be subjected ltelexcessive clamping pressures, such excessive pressuresresulting in deformation of the plastic article.

The chietv feature ot the invention consistsi-n the construction of a fluid operable article j clamping device of the lgeneral character hereinbetore indicated. Y

.The fullk nature of the invention will'be understood `from the accompanying ings and the Jfollowing description and cil-aims. y

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a support, .a clamping con- Y struction supported thereby, an article to be clamped suc-h as a brickk and `a support 'for the' latter. Fig. 2 fs an end eleva-tion of the same `showing the `partsin non-clamping relation. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. '2

In tie drawings 10 indicates a channel member which is straddled by a pair of U'- shaped straps 11, the central portions of said straps support-ing therebeneath a transverse member 12 by means of the rivets 13 or `equivalent constructions. The upper and free ends of the U-shaped straps 11 project above the channelv 10 and Carry pins 14 that support rollers 15 which bear and roll upon the upper side of the channel.` It is to be understood that an angle, T or I-beam or equivalent construction maybe substituted for the channel 10 without departing from the invention.

Sutably secured to the transverse inem'- ber 12 vis an angular plate having a parallel portion 16 and the depending portion 17,

being secured to said support as by the rivets 18. Positioned parallel to the depending plate 17 and in spacedrelation therewith is another plate 19, which plate is substantially diamond-shaped in outlinel as shown clearly in Fig. 1. TheA ends of the diamond shaped plate portions 19 and 17 are suitably connected together by means ot the screw bolts and nuts 20 and 2OA and in the framework thus formed, there is mounted a fluid operable member such as the coil 21. Positioned at each side of the drawl ing furnished parallel plate members 17 and 19 is anarma-l` ture plate 22. Said armature plate .p22 ex-V tends upwardly beyond t-he coil -21 as shown clearly in Fig. 1 and is provided with pairL of apertures -23 ywhich receive .a pair .of pro*- jectin'g pins-24 supported .the base or support 1,2. The plate 22 is further ex;-A tended and is provided withy a pair yof @penings 2 5. These openings 25 are adapted to receive the angularly positioned ends 26 ot a spring 27 interposed between the upwardly Y extending ends of 'the plates 22 and posi. tioned'between the U-sha-ped straps 1,1'. v The spring -27 is normally in tension vand tends to draw the upper ends of the plates 2,2 together,'ther.eby causing the lower ends of the plates 22 fto become further separated, the fulcrum tor this tilting movement be- Y by the pins 2e. When the coil -21 is energized,.the same attracts .the armature plates 22 to the metallic core.y 28 and thus the lower ends ot the parallel plates 22 are caused to move inwardly'to.-

wards each other 1n opposition to the spring f 27, the tilting movement taking place upon the atoresaidv fulcrum provided by the pins i Each of the armature plates 22 includes an angular extension 31, and depending from said angular extension 31 is a spring or resilient strip or finger 32, which is pro-v vided with an angularly extending end 33. Said spring strip 32 is suitably secured vto the depending extensions 31 of the plate 22 t as by means of the rivets 341. The end of the spring member 33 suitably supports as by means of the rivets 35, a bearing member 3 6 for clamping engagement upon a brick 37 or the like, which article to be clamped may or may not be in plastic state, but is supported in a suitable manner as by anyoiibearing belt 38.

It will be readily ap arent from an examination of'Fig. 1 that t ie clamping construction may move longitudinally along the supporting Vmember '10 and thus move parallel Vto the belt either with the belt or in opposition thereto. Likewise the rates of movement ofthe clamping constructionmay be such that relative movement occurs therebetween, or the arrangement may be such that the movable element may be ythe o'ttbearing belt; whereby when Athe. clamping construction engages a brick or the like thereon, the entire clamping construction will be carried in a direction parallel tothe obearingfbelt means of and by the same through the engagement of the brick thereon. The terminology electrical operable means is to be construed as including means operating in the same manner as that specifically disclosed herein and operable by electrical pressure, or equivalent means which can be similarly operated by fluid pressure including liquid pressure and pneumatic pressure, or by the absence of pressure such as a vacuum device.`

The invention claimed is:

1. In a clamping construction, the combination of a support, a clamping construction movably supported thereby, a support therefor positioned beneath the first mentioned support, said clamping construction including a pair of horizontall fulcrumed opposed clamping plates, electrical operable means for causing said plates to move together to engage and clamp an article, and yielding means associated with said clamping plates for normally maintaining said plates in non-clamping relation, said electrical operable means actuating said plates in opposition to said yielding means,

2. In a clamping construction, the combination of a plurality of Unshaped supporting bracket members, a transverse support supported thereby, a pair of clamping plates tulcrumed upon said support, and electrical operable power means suspended from and supported by said support between said clamping plates.

3. In a clamping construction, the combination of a plurality of U-shaped supporting bracket members, a transverse support supported thereby, a pair of clamping plates :tulcrumed upon said support, electrical operable power means suspended from and supported by y said support between said clamping plates, and a spring positioned between a pair oi said U-shaped supportin brackets above said transverse support and connected to said clamping plates for nor` mally maintaining said plates in non-clamping position.

el. In a clamping construction, the combination of a supporting base, a pair of clamping members tulcrumed thereon and supported thereby, electrical operable power means supportedb said base and between said clamping mem `ers for moving the same towards each other, and article engaging spring extensions connected to said clampinv' plates and movable therewith and flexed thereby into clamping engagement.

5. In a claml'iing construction, the combi nation oi a supporting base, a pair of clamp* ing members fulcrumed thereon and supported thereby, electrical operable power means supported by said base and between said clamping' mem ers formoving the same towards each other, article engaging spring extensions connected to said clamping plates and movable therewith and flexed thereby into clamliiing engagement, and yielding means associated with said clamping plates for normally maintaining said clamping plates in non-clampingposition.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

GRAFTON E. LUCE. 

